Gifts and Talents

          "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
"The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess. ‘And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!' "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:10.

      God does not distinguish between a little sin and a big sin. A sin, any sin, a little sin is the same as a very big sin. Any sin will separate us from God, no matter the type or size. Sin brings death which means we are separated from God. When God told Adam that he would die if he ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. He was talking about being separated from Him, that is a spiritual death. And his body would also die.

      We look at our selves and say we are not like that person. We are better than him. We do not do what he does, so we are more acceptable to God. Paul wrote 13 books out of 27 books, of the New Testament. But he still had a humble heart. Paul said he was “not worthy to be called an Apostle.” One year before he died, he said that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.”

      All of the sacrifices that man gave by slaying an animal was a temporary solution until the redeemer came with the final sacrifice. God said without the shedding of blood there is no redemption for our sins. Jesus was that final sacrifice for our sins. He died in our place. So now we are redeemed by His blood. We are nothing except for what Jesus did for us. He paid the price, so we can live with Him for eternity.


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Books Written by Paul

•    Romans
    •    1 and 2 Corinthians
    •    Philemon
    •    Galatians
    •    Philippians
    •    1 and 2 Thessalonians
    •    Ephesians
    •    Colossians
    •    1 and 2 Timothy
    •    Titus

      New King James Version
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

      New King James Version
2 Corinthians 12:11 ¶ I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing.

      New King James Version
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.

      New King James Version
Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

      New King James Version
Luke 18:10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
12 `I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'
13 "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
14 "I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."